How will we know?
Assessing Students’ Intercultural
Learning in Education Abroad Programs
Dr. Darla K. Deardorff
d.deardorff@duke.edu
Duke University
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 1
Biography * Darla K. Deardorff, Ed. D.
Darla K. Deardorff is currently executive director of the Association of International Education Administrators, a national professional
organization based at Duke University, where she also teaches cross-cultural courses and is a Research Scholar in Education. In addition,
she is an adjunct professor at Monterey Institute of International Studies and is on faculty of Harvard University’s Future of Learning
Institute and of the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication in Portland, Oregon as well as a Visiting Professor at LeedsMetropolitan University in the UK. She receives numerous invitations from around the world to speak on her research on intercultural
competence and assessment (including in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Australia and Asia) and is a noted expert on these topics. Darla
has published widely on topics in international education and intercultural learning/assessment and is editor of The SAGE Handbook of
Intercultural Competence (Sage, 2009) as well as co-editor of The SAGE Handbook of International Education (Sage, 2012) with Hans de
Wit, John Heyl and Tony Adams and co-author of Building Cultural Competence (Stylus, 2012) with Kate Berardo.
Darla has worked in the international education field for over fifteen years and previously held positions at North Carolina State
University and the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill where she has had experience in study abroad, international student
services, cultural programming, and ESL teaching/teacher training. She is also an ESL instructor and teacher trainer with over twelve
years of experience and has lived, taught and worked in Germany, Japan, and Switzerland. Darla is an experienced cross-cultural trainer
and coach and conducts training for non-profits, corporations and educational institutions. She is a consultant for numerous
universities and organizations around the world on topics related to intercultural competence development and assessment. One of her
recent consultant projects was for UNESCO on comparative perspectives on intercultural competence which resulted in an invitation to
speak at the first UN World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Darla holds a master’s and doctorate from North Carolina State University where she focused on international education. Her
dissertation, focused on the definition and assessment of intercultural competence, has drawn national and international attention and
her intercultural competence models developed through the research are being used worldwide by such organizations as the
Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany, Cariplo Foundation in Italy, and Sodexo. She is a certified administrator/trainer of the Intercultural
Development Inventory (IDI), Intercultural Edge (ICE) , Intercultural Effectiveness Scale (IES), and of the Global Competencies Inventory
(GCI). Her research interests include non-western perspectives on intercultural competence, internationalization of teacher education,
and intercultural competence assessment.
Contact Information:
Dr. Darla K. Deardorff
Duke University
2204 Erwin Road, Box 90404
Durham, NC 27708-0404
Email: d.deardorff@duke.edu
Phone: 919-668-1928
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 2
STUDENT SUCCESS
 What does student success look like in your course/program in terms of intercultural
learning?
 What learning processes and approaches lead to student success in your course/program?
 How will students know they’ve been successful in their intercultural learning?
 How would others know your students have been successful in their intercultural learning?
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 3
REFLECTION QUESTIONS ON ASSESSMENT
1) What are the goals and objectives for your program?
2) What is evidence of student success in your program?
3) How are you currently assessing those goals and objectives?
4) What student assignments elicit evidence of student success in your program?
5) How can you adapt and build on student assignments for assessment purposes?
6) How are you providing feedback (coaching) to your students, based on the assessment results, to
help them continue to grow and develop interculturally?
7) How do you define intercultural competence? What frameworks (literature) are you currently using
to frame intercultural competence in your program?
8) What has worked well in terms of assessment in your program?
9) What are some challenges you face in assessing students’ intercultural learning?
10) What are some “lessons learned” in developing and assessing students’ intercultural/international
learning?
11) How do you see your role in developing students’ intercultural competence and who else can you
connect with on campus around this endeavor?
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 4
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE DEFINITION/FRAMEWORK
From “The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization at Institutions of
Higher Education in the United States”
by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff in Journal of Studies in International Education, Fall 2006, 10, p. 241-266 and in The SAGE Handbook of
Intercultural Competence, 2009 (Thousand Oaks: Sage).
Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009):
DESIRED EXTERNAL OUTCOME:
Behaving and communicating effectively and
appropriately (based on one’s intercultural knowledge,
skills, and attitudes) to achieve one’s goals to some
degree
DESIRED INTERNAL OUTCOME:
Informed frame of reference/filter shift:
Adaptability (to different communication styles & behaviors;
adjustment to new cultural environments);
Flexibility (selecting and using appropriate communication
styles and behaviors; cognitive flexibility);
Ethnorelative view;
Empathy
Knowledge & Comprehension:
Cultural self-awareness;
Deep understanding and knowledge of
culture (including contexts, role and
impact of culture & others’ world
views);
Culture-specific information;
Sociolinguistic awareness
Skills:
To listen, observe, and interpret
To analyze, evaluate, and relate
Requisite Attitudes:
Respect (valuing other cultures, cultural diversity)
Openness (to intercultural learning and to people from other cultures, withholding judgment)
Curiosity and discovery (tolerating ambiguity and uncertainty)
NOTES:

Move from personal level (attitude) to interpersonal/interactive level (outcomes)

Degree of intercultural competence depends on acquired degree of underlying elements
Copyright 2006 by D.K. Deardorff
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 5
INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK
From “The Identification and Assessment of Intercultural Competence as a Student Outcome of Internationalization at Institutions of
Higher Education in the United States”
by Dr. Darla K. Deardorff Deardorff in Journal of Studies in International Education, Fall 2006, 10, p. 241-266 and in The SAGE
Handbook of Intercultural Competence, 2009 (Thousand Oaks: Sage)
Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006, 2009):
Attitudes:
Knowledge &
Comprehension:
Respect (valuing other
cultures); Openness
(withholding judgment);
Curiosity & discovery
(tolerating ambiguity)
Cultural self-awareness,
deep cultural knowledge,
sociolinguistic awareness
SKILLS: To listen,
observe & evaluate; To
analyze, interpret & relate
Desired External
Outcome: Effective
Desired Internal
Outcome: Informed
and appropriate
communication &
behavior in an
intercultural situation
Frame of Reference
Shift (adaptability,
flexibility, ethnorelative
view, empathy)
Notes:

Begin with attitudes; Move from individual level (attitudes) to interaction level (outcomes)

Degree of intercultural competence depends on acquired degree of attitudes, knowledge/comprehension, and
skills
Copyright 2006 by D.K. Deardorff
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 6
APPLYING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FRAMEWORK TO
ASSESSMENT EFFORTS ((Deardorff, 2009)
A) Overall goals in your context (ie “developing intercultural competence”):
B) Starting Point: Developing outcome statements based on the ICC framework:
Select 2-3 elements from the ICC model that are highest priority for you in your program/course.
List them here:
1)
2)
3)
C) Now write specific measurable outcomes statements for each of the above elements (ideally this would be done in dialogue
with other stakeholders including students). See below for example from American Association of Colleges & Universities’
Intercultural VALUE Rubric:
For Empathy: Interprets intercultural experience from the perspectives of own and more than one worldview
Outcome Statement #1:
Outcome Statement #2:
Outcome Statement #3:
These statements will need to be refined through dialogue with your stakeholders – discussion points include criteria or indicators that
these have been reached, development of basic to advanced levels of these statements, and so on. Be sure to have only one measurable
element per statement and ensure that the outcome statement is realistic and achievable given the parameters of your program/course (ie
timeframe).
D) Given the above statements, what do you and your stakeholders believe to be evidence that these statements have been
achieved? Be sure to consider both indirect evidence (self-report surveys/tools, interviews, focus groups, etc) and direct
evidence (student writing, portfolios, observation, testing, etc). List below.
Outcomes Statements
Which evidence shows
achievement?
Outcome Statement #1
Indirect:
Outcome Statement #2
Indirect:
Outcome Statement #3
Indirect:
Direct:
Direct:
Direct:
Note: Be sure to use a multi-measure, multi-perspective assessment approach.
E) Now you’re at the point to begin putting together an Assessment Plan, which includes mission, goals, objectives, evidence that
objectives have been met (which determines assessment tools/methods), use of data collected (ie details for student feedback,
program improvement), communication of data collected (to all stakeholders involved), timeline for all of this, who is
responsible and so on.
Developed by D.K. Deardorff, 2011. For further details and information, see “Implementing Intercultural Competence Assessment” by D.K. Deardorff,
in The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Competence (Sage, 2009), edited by D.K. Deardorff
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 7
COMMON INTERCULTURAL LEARNING OUTCOMES
From At Home in the World: Bridging the Gap Between Internationalization and Multicultural
Education by Olson, Evans & Schoenberg, American Council on Education, 2007
Below are some common learning outcomes generated by participants at an ACE roundtable when looking at
shared learning outcomes between internationalization and multicultural education.
Students should be able to:
Knowledge/Content Oriented
 Understand the interconnectedness and interdependence of global systems
 Understand the historical, cultural, economic, and political forces that shape society and explain own
situation in this context
 Develop a nuanced/complex understanding of culture as a concept and the deep/complex/dynamic nature of
culture.
 Understand various cultures and how culture is created
 Understand the relationship of power and language, and how language interacts with culture
 Understand the connections between power, knowledge, privilege, gender and class (locally and globally)
 Understand conflict and power relationships
 Understand how language frames thinking and perspective
 Recognize how stereotypes develop and where they come from
Attitudinal/Mode of Being
 Develop a sense of perspective and social responsibility
 Overcome provincial/parochial thinking
 Reduce own prejudice
 Appreciate difference; value and acknowledge other cultures as legitimate
 Improve cultural self-awareness and understanding of one’s self in the global context
 Demonstrate greater appreciation of or an interest in learning about different cultures
 Develop empathy and perspective consciousness
 Demonstrate open-mindedness and an understanding of complexity
Skills








Think, work, and move across boundaries – in diverse environments
Develop and use skills in conflict resolution
Develop and use intercultural communication skills
Demonstrate language proficiency
Take informed responsibility for actions in a globally connected world
Link theory and practice through own experience both as citizens and professionals
Internalize and apply cultural understandings and knowledge
Seek out multiple perspectives
D.K. Deardorff, 2011
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 8
PROCESS: CRITICAL REFLECTION
Writing Prompts
(encompassing all Bloom levels and taking thinking up through Synthesis to Evaluation)
-- From P. Clayton, 2010
“I learned that” should…




Express an important learning, not just a statement of fact
Provide a clear and correct explanation of the concept(s) in question so that someone not in the
experience could understand it.
Explain your enhanced understanding of the concept(s), as a result of reflection on your experience
Be expressed in general terms, not just in the context of your experience (so that the learning can be
applied more broadly to other experiences)
“I learned this when” should….

Connect your learning to your specific activities, making clear what happened in the context of that
experience so that someone who wasn’t there could understand it.
“This learning matters because” should…

Consider how the learning has value, both in terms of your project-related activities and in broader terms,
such as:
o Other organizations or issues
o Other activities you participate in
o Other personal interests or professional goals.
o Other courses
“In light of this learning, I…..” should…



Set specific and assessable goals and consider the benefits and challenges involved in fulfilling those goals
State action that will be undertaken as a result of this learning
Tie back clearly to the original learning statement.
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 9
KEY POINTS IN STUDY ABROAD ASSESSMENT
 Start with solid goals, specific learning objectives, and clearly defined
terminology
 Adapt what you’re already doing to collect the evidence you need
 Use a mixed methods approach to assessment (direct/indirect
tools/methods) – aligned with outcomes
 Go beyond pre/post and integrate assessment into the experience
 Use the data you collect – for student feedback, communication with
stakeholders, for program improvement
 Identify others on campus who can work with you in assessment efforts –
don’t go it alone!
 Remember that quality assessment takes effort and time (no “silver
bullet”) but it’s critical to student success and learning
 Assess what you value not value what you assess
OTHER KEY POINTS:
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 10
Reflection Questions Related to Incorporating and Assessing
Intercultural Competence in Learning Abroad Experiences:
1. Which terminology is most appropriate to use for these experiences?
2. What are the overall goals and specific learning objectives for these experiences?
3. How is intercultural competence development related to the goals and learning objectives? How can it be
better incorporated into the goals and objectives?
4. How realistic and achievable are these learning objectives within the given time parameters of the
experience?
5. Does the experience go beyond surface-level cultural knowledge and tourist—type experiences to address
deeper intercultural learning and meaning-making? Does the experience risk reinforcing stereotypes or
“freezing” the local culture in a particular way?
6. What intercultural preparation/foundation is needed BEFORE students participate in this experience?
7. What intercultural learning interventions are important to incorporate during the experience that will
support the learning objectives? For example, what opportunities exist for students to interact and
engage with local citizens in meaningful ways? Are students encouraged to move beyond “the group
bubble” to ensure a more authentic experience within the culture?
8. How will students’ intercultural learning be processed and incorporated upon their return to campus (to
help further others’ intercultural learning)?
9. How will students’ intercultural learning be assessed throughout the experience? What will be the
evidence that the learning objectives have been achieved?
10. What kind of feedback will be given to students to help them continue their intercultural development?
11. What should students be able to do as a result of the intercultural learning that occurs through this
experience abroad?
12. What should be included in a rubric for assessing students’ intercultural learning?
D.K. Deardorff, 2011
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 11
Resources:
AAC&U VALUES rubric for intercultural competence at http://www.aacu.org/value/rubrics/InterculturalKnowledge.cfm
American Council on Education (2007). Assessing international learning outcomes.
http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ProgramsServices/International/Campus/GoodPractice/fipse/index.htm
Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.
Calloway-Thomas, C. (2010). Empathy in the global world: An intercultural perspective. Thousand Oaks: Sage
Clayton, J. (2003). One classroom, many worlds: Teaching and learning in the cross-cultural classroom. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Cushner, K. & Mahon, J. (2009). Developing the intercultural competence of educators and their students: Creating
blueprints. In DK Deardorff (ed) The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Deardorff, D.K. (2006). The identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of
internationalization at institutions of higher education in the United States. Journal of Studies in International Education,
10(3), 241-266.
Deardorff, D.K. (2008). Intercultural competence: A definition, model and implications for education abroad. In V. Savicki
(ed). Developing intercultural competence and transformation: Theory, research, and application in international education.
Stylus.
Deardorff, D.K. (2009). Implementing intercultural competence assessment. In D.K. Deardorff (ed) The SAGE handbook of
intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Deardorff, D.K. (2009). The SAGE handbook of intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Fantini. A. (2009). Assessing intercultural competence: Issues and tools. In D.K. Deardorff (ed) The SAGE handbook of
intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Magala, S. (2005). Cross-cultural competence. Routledge
Paige, R. M. (Ed.). (1993). Education for the intercultural experience. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.
Savicki, V. (Ed.) (2007). Developing intercultural competence and transformation: Theory, research, and application in
international education. Sterling, VA: Stylus.
Spitzberg, B.& Changnon, G. (2009). Conceptualizing intercultural competence. In D.K. Deardorff (ed) The SAGE handbook
of intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Stuart, D. (2008). Assessment instruments for the global workforce. In M. Moodian (ed) Contemporary leadership and
intercultural competence. Thousand Oaks: Sage
D.K. Deardorff, Duke University, d.deardorff@duke.edu, 2013, 12